Some things have a calming effect for most people: being near the water, watching a beautiful sunset, being with someone you love. In this case, J. Pitre’s painting called At Rest has all three, plus the image of a boat I saw the night I met my wife on a blind date.

I’d never seen her before, but friends set us up thinking that I (a veterinarian) and she (a woman who ran an animal shelter) might have a few things in common. The plan was to meet at 8:00 for dinner at the Rusty Scupper, a seafood restaurant in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. I went early to watch the sunset. The sky was awash with colors from orange to indigo. Rays of sunlight shined through the silhouette of the masts on the ships and into the restaurant making the entire place glow. It was breathtaking.

And just when I thought nothing could be more beautiful, she walked in.

The only thought I had was— YES. To everything. Her face, those lovely cheeks bones, her beautiful mouth, skin that shimmered like silk. And the way she moved, hypnotic. I was drunk by the site of her.

I remember the next few minutes like they happened yesterday. I stood to introduce myself. She smiled that gorgeous smile and said it was nice to meet me, but she wasn’t accustomed to strangers introducing themselves. She glanced away and waved to another table.

She wasn’t my date. I felt like a complete idiot and explained the misunderstanding. She touched my shoulder, leaned in and said, “Lucky girl. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

I couldn’t believe what I blurted in response, “I’d rather spend the evening with you.” Me, sounding like a bumbling ladies’ man. It was completely out of character.

She laughed and said, “How do you know? There’s a chance I could be a horrible person.”

“I seriously doubt that,” I said and summoned the courage to say, “If there’s any chance of seeing you again, I’ll tell my date that I’ve recently met someone special.”

“You should at least buy her dinner. It would be rude to…”

“So that’s a yes? You’ll see me again?”

She nodded. “Tomorrow night, here, same time?”

It was the beginning of a life with a woman who never ceases to amaze me. In fact, she was the one who found At Rest. It reminds us both of the night we met, the night that we’ll never forget.